Like many American burgs, our town was once home to a number of small, regional breweries. As they disappeared, so too went the full-flavored but easy drinking classic American lager. Today, we salute these bygone breweries and revive their legacy with Boulevard KC Pils: 100% malt, real hop character, unpasteurized. It’s the taste of tradition.

Updating the review, since when I reviewed it back in 2009 it was still called Boulevard Pilsner.

Poured into a pint glass at my humble abode.

Pours an absolutely beautiful, and I do mean BEAUTIFUL crystal clear yellow gold. I've not seen a beer this clear in ages. You can see the details of your fingerprints through the beer. It seems more clear than the big boys and their adjunct-laden stuff. Head is not huge, but sufficient, and holds well.

The nose is light, with just a faint graininess peeking through. Not much hop in the aroma either, just that hint of clean malt. I'm getting absolutely no DMS "cooked corn" aroma, which is a very good thing. Just a good, clean, balanced American style pilsner smell.

The flavor mimics the nose to a "T". Nothing but pilsner malt up front. Nice and grainy, but not a harsh or forceful graininess. It isn't sweet, it isn't bitter. Just smooth, pleasant, and very easy to drink. The hops are here, yet the brew is still amazingly well balanced. Given the delicate nature of the flavor, that's quite an accomplishment. So many things can go wrong with this style, and there's no place for mistakes to hide, yet the potential flaws are notable in their absence here. In fact, that's a great way to appreciate the beer; recognize what shouldn't be and *isn't* here. This is a damn fine American pilsner!

The mouthfeel is light, crisp, yet creamy. The beer is well carbonated, but not like the soda carbonation levels you see at times when brewers attempt this style. As with the flavor, it's a fine line, a balancing act, and Boulevard pulls it off extremely well.

It would be a far shorter list to mention what's *not* drinkable about this beer. That would be a list with zero items. This is really, really well done. If you're into the "if it ain't eleventy jillion percent alcohol and infinity IBUs then don't call me" mode, you won't find this worth your time. This is a beer for a refined drinker who chases nuance and appreciates the art of brewing rather than one who enjoys getting slapped upside the head with huge flavor and jaw-clenching bitterness. It would also be great for a BMC drinker who wants to get into craft beer. I'll admit it bothers me a small amount when I see brews like this denigrated by craft beer drinkers who should know better. If one approaches this with the understanding of what it is supposed to be - a clean, mild, easy to drink and sessionable all-malt American style pilsner - rather than what it is not - a super-complex, rich, overhopped ale made from a recipe found in a UFO at Area 51, using the only known fruit from the last surviving species of a particular tree in the Amazon picked right before it was plowed under, barrel aged in Jesus' tomb, and carbonated with unicorn farts -- one can't help but be impressed. When drinking it, if you find yourself saying "man, I'm not really tasting such-and-such", well hello. Now you're starting to get it. I'm extremely happy with the beer. If you've made it past the "get me faced in one beer OR ELSE" phase, definitely give this one a shot. Delicate, yet well worth drinking. I'm very impressed with what Boulevard has done here.